Liverpool head coach Arne Slotplaceholder image
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot | Getty Images
One man has stood out for Liverpool over recent weeks, despite their troubles in the Premier League
Liverpool have underperformed by their standards so far this season. They won the Premier League title in the last campaign under the guidance of Arne Slot. However, they have struggled for consistency over recent times and find themselves down in 12th position in the table after 12 matches.
The Reds were beaten 3-0 at home by Nottingham Forest last time out. They will be eager to bounce back against PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The Merseyside outfit then lock horns with West Ham at the London Stadium in the league on Sunday.
Liverpool ace Dominik Szoboszlai catching the eye under Arne Slot’s guidance
Liverpool ace Dominik Szoboszlai has stood out this term and flourished, despite the Reds’ poor form. The Hungary international, who has 61 caps to his name, has caught the eye for Slot’s side and has become a key player. He is under contract at Anfield until June 2028 and has become one of their most prized assets over recent times.
Szoboszlai, 25, started his senior career with spells at FC Liefering and RB Salzburg before linking up with RB Leipzig in 2021. He went on to play 91 matches for the Bundesliga club in all competitions and scored 20 goals. His performances in Germany then earned him a switch to England in 2023.
Liverpool landed him to add more competition and depth to their squad. He injects quality into their ranks and has proved to be a useful player to call upon. The versatile midfielder has played 111 matches to date and has found the net on 17 occasions.
What now for Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool?
Like during large chunks of Steven Gerrard’s successful spell at Liverpool, the team wasn’t as strong as it should have been. This Reds’ squad is, on paper, very impressive but they haven’t lived up to their potential of late. Nevertheless, Szoboszlai’s personal performances have been good and he has carried his teammates.
The pundits have been impressed too. Joe Cole has said on TNT Sports: “I love him. It’s even more impressive how well he’s playing because of the functionality of the Liverpool team isn’t there. So he’s almost, and I’m going to throw a name in here, been Steven Gerrard-esk.
“The Liverpool team that Stevie played in was nowhere near as good as this team. Not nowhere near, it wasn’t as good as this team. Szoboszlai has just taken the game by the scruff of the neck.”
Former Reds defender Stephen Warnock said of him recently: “The energy he has, the recovery challenges he makes and the way he gets to the edge of the penalty area is so impressive.”
Meanwhile, Owen Hargreaves added: “He’s an old school number 10, but now he’s learned the defensive side of the game. He’s amazing. His passing is top.”
Slot will be pleased with the way that Szoboszlai is playing right now and will want the rest of his players to follow suit. It is a shame that he won’t be at the World Cup next year though. Hungary missed out on the tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico after losing to Republic of Ireland in the last international break. Troy Parrott scored a last-gasp winner in Budapest.
Liverpool need to tighten things up at the back after their heavy loss to Nottingham Forest. Slot is yet to find the right blend in his starting XI. He may look to bring in some fresh faces in the January transfer window to mix things up a bit.
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